Cross car structural beams are used in the bodies of automotive vehicles to provide structural strength between the A-pillars in the front of the passenger and/or driver compartment. Such beams are commonly used to support an instrument panel assembly and may serve as a reaction surface for occupant protection devices such as air bags or knee bolsters. Some recent steel beams have also been used to support the steering wheel and column assembly and an air handling system such as a heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) module.
Steel has been the most commonly used material but, when used in so-called "cockpit build" applications where support of the steering column and HVAC system loads is required, results in a very large structure creating weight penalties and packaging problems. Magnesium beam designs have manufacturing and cost penalties. Aluminum beams have packaging problems similar to steel. Plastic beams have so far lacked the stiffness to satisfy noise, vibration and handling (NVH) criteria and are unsuitable for "cockpit build" uses.